Mechanism for manipulating the spinal muscles of the human body.



C. B. HARDY & K. E. GIBSQN.

MECHANISM FOR MAMPULATING THE SPINAL MUSCLES OF THE HUMAN BODY.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1917.

9 6, 2" Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

g mug g ,T=. i EEK-tit]. HEEL-1W5? ingl' me gmflg j )L Z 17% j 15 1 20 1 i v lull: .1 37

A TTORNE Y.

m roe. uLArme run i =1 AND KATINE E.

oresou, or 1505 mourns, cnnmonma. srmhr. nuscnns or run HUMAN Boa-z.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, i9l8.

Application filed October 24, 1917. Serial No. 199,373.

States, residing 'at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State 'of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Manipulating the Spinal Muscles of the Human Body, of which the following is a specification.

While our invention in a modified form may be employed for massaging or manipulating other muscles of the human body, the structure hereinafter set forth and described has particular reference to the machine ca pable of being attached to an ordinary form of surgical table so that the spinal zone of the human body, when the body is reclined on the table, may rest over the machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character above referred to having a plurality of applicators arranged in series for simultaneously manipulatmg successive portions of the s inal muscles, the action of the applicators eing to pull the muscles away from the spinal vertebrae as in usual osteopathic treatment.

A further object is to provide constantly operated actuating means for the applicators for intermittently and alternately actuating opposite sets of the applicators, so that the muscles on one side of the spinal column may be first manipulated and then the other side with equal pressure and efi'ect.

A further object is to provide means for supporting the applicators in such positions that a combined lateral and rocking motion may be imparted thereto during the operation of the machine, such motion being best adapted to induce the results sought to be obtained. ther objects will appear as the description progresses.

Having in mind the above and other objects, we have shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, a preferred embodiment of our ideas, which we will now describe in detail.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a surgical table of ordinary form, partially in action, showing our machine attached thereto in operative position.

2 is an end elevation of the same, partly in action.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one end of the table with the assembled machine mounted thereon.

F1g. 4 is an enlarged' transverse section of our machn 1e as shown in Fig. 3, in which a typical pa r of applicators 1s shown.

Fig. 5 1s a longitudinal section of the same, the applicators being shown partly in actlon.

In the drawings, the same reference characters are employed throughout the several views for indicating the same or like parts.

Although we have shown in the drawings a preferred embodiment of our invention, we do not desire to limit the same to the form of device shown, for we conceive it to be possible to substantially alter the structure w1thout enlarging the scope or departin from the spirit of our invention.

he table 10 on which our machine is mounted is of the usual form except that an opening 11 is formed centrally therein between the edges and near the head of the table, through which opening the application of our device to the human body may.

be made, as hereinafter set forth. As shown the table 10 comprises a fiat board top 12 with a suitable cushion 13 suitably attached thereto for covering the top.

The mechanism of our machine is supported at opposite ends of the opening 11 by means of a pair of similar frame members 14 and 15 which are held on the bottom of theboard top by means of screws or bolts 16. A driven shaft or spindle 17 is revolubly supported on the frame members in bearings 18 and 19 and is disposed longitudinally of the table, centrally relative to the opening 11 in the table and substantially below the bottom thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. A pair of rock shafts 20 and 21 are pivotally held in the end frame members in bearings 22 and 23, respectively, and these shafts parallel the central shaft 17 and cocupy planes substantially above and on opposite sides of that of the shaft 17 A motor 24 may be suitably mounted on a base 25 attached to the bottom of the table, or otherwise, and we prefer to operate the shaft 17 by means of a worm gear set com prising a worm 26 held on the motor shaft and a worm gear 27 secured to the driven shaft 17, the gear and motor bein preferably positioned midway of the on s of the shaft 17. The ratio of the gear 27 to the worm 26 should be such that the speed of the shaft 17 may be reduced suficiently to provide against discomfort to the one being movement ei cieseriieecia epniieeeoi's A are rigioiy neid necking sopnorts "I on which have the '"eeii cronies and s ze edenieci to es iooseiy ioefl. on the shame 29 and 21 mi r so es lo move l'reeiy thereon. esters erreng'eci 'n two sets iongiendineiiy on fine men and in pains ie'bemiiy enie and are composed oi meiei bends 28 "e ni around in ine some a loop, over soiz sponge rubber 2 sigh resilien-oy is goiseeci, and reisiiveiy enin ieeihei or s'iseips' 3i) ere provided covering the nivioei" the oi the rubber ei enbs end strips being firmly held on b? means oi screws or rivets 31 inieeoeo 1 ,7 i sncl-exienulng "ongn Eel, ii-

v ieeiii r series, a n 711 in 1 LL 0 g J A 1. or cieniping ins sp oiieeiei BiEme'DL-S eentei" end 35 on the 1 snppo ie nieis snhsteniioiiy anon shaft 1 aims 34 and 35 being 13 each otiien so the propeeiy speoeo i033 op i 5, the 3% is shown n z sup posii ide of tile sable, which sen ice noted in adjacent peir of appiieeiers, formed n1, other enoi of the eppiicetoi" suppers A cam 38 is provided on shaft 1? 0811x 521? and for operating eeeh of the arms similar cam 39 is providezi for operating BE'LCH of she arms 35. The cams siisfe 1'4" by any suiisbie ineens are nosieioned beneath and in eon'teot Wit. be ne ers 86, the high points on the 136111: heiies 1 came 38 being set on sees 17 so so I e dienieirieeiiy opposite those on cases 39 biine goeimitiing "the eoinpiete operation of one set of epgplieetors before the opposite is on ereieci. The roiieis 36 are held in resiiien'b engagement with their earns by me ns eoii springs 10 e site ends 50 the oppositevertieei illll'lS o suppolis B shown in of the spi e varies from one shoulders to in epereiion, the atient is laid on the table 10 in such e position that the "need Wiii. res; on she portion of table at the end. ei die opening 11 end the spine ids positionefl eenimiiy between ihe opposite sets of eppiiesters, the spinoi muscles res-hing on fine enrvexi surface of ihe eppiioeioss A which have :1 range of length eqnsi to the menimmn iength oi" the spinei coiunin. The me- $01" being started the shaft 17 is roieeeeLby means of tiieuwonm gem set; described, the proper ego-sec time rot-sizing the cams 38 end In mi eiteinsieiy rocking the opposite seis Iiceiors by means of the engagement eir ioiiower arms with the cams. engenleni of the mechanism as shown senses e slight ieising of fine inner eciiscent curved ends oi :Jiie eppiieeioi's which Erie- 'tioneiiy the body of the patient and the same time ihe eppiieetoi's move imly oubnreeciiy from the center of the e exen'sing pressure on and serving so ouii xihe muscles sway fioin the spine.

iee'isnei see s provided on the eppii- T i L eenteei with line skin inns gerevent rest ion nd these e'einenis me be renewed er repieeed from time to time as may he neces easy for convenience ei' seniieiy reasons The highly iesiiieni; rubber elements oi the applicators previ e for the greater comfort patient during the operelcion enci yieideioie cushioning she effect the sopiiceiols on the body. The upper surees ef iiie sppiice'mi's shonici be of such formeisien as $0 eemfestebiy conform he the surface 0f the body e gafcieni; enci, inesmno'n as she size of Fee different vertebra srnnk so on oi "the Teociy, the size of eppiiosiois may eiso very eocorciingijy'. is lnejf also be found olesimiiie to new radii of some 38 enci 39 siigiitiy from ene of 531 e machine to the other, in erriei U movement the eppiiceiors meg! he ver'ed eonespondingiy ene end oi ssh to the ether, and the eppiioeioi" snpnorts B being made loose on the oi: may

Wiii be undeestooc'i that the iines e1 5151 owns eieiermlne the extent ens eneiec es 0 is eesoriioerl our invention The an; opening therein, a driven shaft centrally of and supported below said opening, a pair of spaced rods paralleling said shaft and disposed on opposite sides thereof, cams on said driven shaft, and vertebral a plicators' pivotally held on said rods and 'a apted to be actuated by said cams for massaging the spinal column, said applicators being oscillated and having a slight upward and a substantial movement about their axes for pulling the muscles away from the spinal a support for the body of a atient, a plurality of intermittently osc latable. arms supported for operation by said driven element, and a plurality of applicator units formed of resilient material and having their upper sides concave for supporting the vertebral muscles of the patient, the movement of said applicators transversely 'of their supports and of the spine of a patient serving to press against and pull the muscles away from the spine. I

5. In a massage machine, a table for supporting the patient to be treated, a cam shaft longitudinally disposed below said table and adapted to be continuously rotated during a treatment, a set of applicators supported on said table and extended slightly above the top thereof for contact with the human body, cam means on said shaft for oscillating the sets of said applicators alternately for massaging opposite portions of the'body, and resilient means for connecting opposite sets of said applicators, as set forth.

6. In a massage machine, a table support ing a patient thereupon, a driven cam shaft longitudinally supported thereon, resilient applicators on opposite sides of said shaft having their upper body engaging portions extended slightly above the top of said table and curved to conform to the lines of the body of the patient, cams for alternately actuating said applicators so as to apply pressure to and pull the muscles of the spinal column laterally of the body.

CLARA B. HARDY. KATHARINE E. GIBSON. 

